138 



ber 1822, p. 3, and Colombia, being a statistical account of 

 that Country, 1822, vol, i, p. 375). The congress not having 

 been able to consult the deputies of Quito, the population of 

 that presidencia has probably been estimated too low. It 

 is given in the official Gazette nearly the same as it was 

 found in 1778, while the estimate of the audiencia of Santa 

 Fe gives an increase in 43 years of more than 3. It is to be 

 hoped, that an enumeration made with precision will soon 

 dissipate the doubts we entertain on the statistics of Colum- 

 bia. It appears to me probable, that, notwithstanding the 

 devastations of war, the population will be found above 

 2,900,000. 



Peru. The estimate of the population indicated in the 

 table is not too high. The works printed at Lima (Quia 

 politica del Vireynato del Peru para el ario 1793, publicada 

 por la Sociedad academica de los Amantes del pays) estimated 

 the population, thirty years ago, at a million of inhabitants, 

 of which 600,000 were Indians,240,000 mestizoes, and 40,000 

 slaves. The inhabited part of the country has a surface of 

 only 26,220 square leagues ; and a large and fertile part 

 of Upper Peru has belonged ever since 1778 to the vice- 

 royalty of Buenos Ayres. 



Chili. An enumeration, made in 1813, gave 980,000 

 souls. Mr. d'Yrisarri, who fills an important office in the 

 government of Chili, thinks, that the population may already 

 have attained 1,200,000. 



Buenos Ayres. According to the official documents 

 communicated to Mr. Rodney, one of the commissioners 

 sent by the president of the United States to Rio de la Plata 

 in 1817, the population was two millions. At that period 

 it was found to be 965;000, exclusive of the Indians. The 

 number of natives is extremely considerable in Upper Peru, 

 that is, in the Provincias de la Sierra, which belong to the 



